Youth In Jalandhar Throws Acid on 50 Year Old Woman

A motorcycle-borne youth threw acid on a 50-year-old woman at Waryam Nagar here on Friday morning.

The victim, Jatinder Kaur, suffered severe burn injuries on the face and other parts on the left side of the body.

She was coming back from Gurdwara Guru Singh Sabha in her locality around 7.30am when the accused, who was wearing a helmets and had his face muffled, threw acid on her near Kidney Hospital on the Cool Road and then sped away.

On being informed, the victim’s relatives took her to Bath Hospital, from where she was referred to the civil hospital, citing a police case.

After admitting her to the civil hospital and getting her statement recorded by the police, family members took her back to Bath Hospital for treatment. Her condition was said to be stable.

Talking to Hindustan Times, the victim’s son, Onkar Singh, said his mother visited the gurdwara early in the morning with other women of the locality.

Onkar said his mother had spotted two motorcycle-borne youths with covered faces on Wednesday morning. Suspecting that they were snatchers, she had raised the alarm, forcing them to flee. He claimed that his mother was alone when she was attacked by a youth on Friday.

Dr Jaswant Singh Bath told HT that the acid attack had damaged vision in the victim’s left eye, adding that the left side of her body had suffered severe burn injuries.

Rajinder Sharma, station house officer (SHO) of police division number 6, said a case had been registered under Section 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said the police had recovered a plastic tumbler used by the accused to throw acid.

In the evening, assistant commissioner of police (Model Town) Manpreet Singh said, “The police have got a vital clue and we are close to cracking the case.”

The victim’s husband, Rachpal Singh, has a wholesale clothes shop in the city.Easy availability

Despite strict guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, the sale of acid is going unchecked in Jalandhar. This HT reporter went to a shop on the railway road and asked for acid. The shopkeeper gave a bottle of acid for Rs. 20 without asking any question or seeking any proof of identity.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Varun Roojam said he would talk to the police commissioner on Saturday regarding implementation of guidelines for the sale and purchase of acid into the city.

SC guidelines

* Only licensed shopkeepers will be allowed to undertake sale of acid.
* Sellers must also demand the identity proof, residential address, telephone number and purpose of purchasing acid, from the buyer.
* Acid sold in retail must be so diluted that it does not have any corrosive effect on humans.
* Shopkeepers will have to maintain daily record of buyers and quantity of acid sold.
* Acid will not be sold to anyone below the age of 18.